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Archived Report

Arkansas at Salida - 03/19/07

Guides Rating: Guides Rating of 4 Stars
Streamflow at time of report: 315cfs

I rated this 4 Stars, but right now its probably on fishing at 3 stars. The reason for the 4 star rating is that it will change any day. Once the Ark hits 4 stars it will almost immediately move to 5 stars. In other words, get excited and stop worrying about exact ratings.

Salida is a much lower elevation than Summit County so watch for warming trends that can sometimes lead to early run-off. A little murky water is ok, but you don't want an entire day to be ruined by mud. Check the flows and you should be able to see possible run-offs indicated by large spikes in the flow graph.

The BWOs should start popping any day. In the meantime, there have been some fantastic midge hatches and the trout are rising. The fish are ready to eat, so you have a chance at finding a few happy risers fooled by any dry fly from a midge to a BWO to a caddis. Don't bank on risers, but you can always try it. For now, your best bet is going to be nymphing. With caddis and BWOs about to pop, you can't go wrong with tying on imitations of both. There's also a few stoneflies moving around, so a larger attractor can be a good lead nymph is you're not seeing much action.

Keep your eyes out for newsletter updates. Once the BWOs pop you don't want to be left out. The best advice we have is to keep your schedule in pencil, so that you can always erase or move a meeting in order to free up some time for the river - unless you're not excited by the chance of landing dozens of fish all on dry flies. And, if that doesn't excite you there's probably no reason to read a fishing report.

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